SOME half a million guest workers are expected to be deported next month under the 6P amnesty programme, which allowed illegal workers to remain in the country for a further three years as legally sponsored labour. Now, the three years are up and the government looks set to fulfil its threat of repatriation, its position being that the terms were agreed upon with the employers. Being, thus, made fully aware, it can be assumed that the employers entered into the agreement in bad faith, intending to renege. Granted, their predicament is understandable, but three years should be long enough to find replacement staff and work out a solution with the authorities to ensure that the impact on firms and industries does not impact negatively on the economy. It is just not good enough to wait for the expiry of permits before bringing up these problems.
Immigration issues affect all countries. The difference is in the nature of the response to these issues. Malaysia does not entertain the notion that migrant labour might ultimately obtain the right to naturalisation. Instead, right off the bat, the aim is to deny them the possibility. Hence, the no-nonsense approach: keep the duration of the legal stay short. In fact, even after 10 years of continuous work permit, mandatory repatriation makes it impossible for the workers’ residence to be other than temporary. But that they contribute substantially to the country’s economic development cannot be denied, or the employers would not be groaning under the weight of having to train fresh, unskilled workers. This is a time-consuming process if they are to become proficient. Rushing them could easily mean accidents, as have occurred recently in the construction and manufacturing sectors, for example. Such is the argument of the construction industry, which is set to lose some 100,000 workers come next month, a dreaded fait accompli that could drive up costs in more ways than one.
The Malaysian Employers Federation paints a bleak picture if the authorities were to remain inflexible, with many major sectors set to be affected. Saying that many workers will be forced to stay illegally as a result, however, is not constructive. If the authorities acted strictly according to the law, then the employers would be prosecuted for employing illegal labour. Given the expected negative impact if actions were not taken to effectively replace the affected employees, then the economy would be bound to suffer. Consequently, there is an immediate need to accommodate the pleas of specific sectors deemed most affected, like the construction sector, because providing skills to new workers while still employing those already skilled, but facing imminent deportation, is expensive. The best avenue, then, is for a compromise to be reached. The best might be for the authorities to adopt a skilled labour-friendly approach, that is, retain those already trained. These are skilled workers. Their contribution to the nation should be viewed positively. Why, then, not give them a chance?